New West Facing Seating Area

I’ve had some time off this week and decided it was time to clear an area that has been annoying me for a while – you know the place where you dump all your old pots, the bins, rubbish etc…

So there I was early on Sunday morning clearing away and I found an old pond (made out of a sandpit one summer with my boys!) completely forgotten it was there – with three frogs sitting up staring at me – well we all know you have to keep frogs in the garden to eat the slugs – well thats what they say and mine did look quite big!! So once that had been moved and the frogs transferred over (not to mention how smelly the pond is – it hasnt been emptied in about 12 years!! – yes now you are glad you havent got smelly vision!!!) and a quick dig over the area it showed it had promise…

So I laid out the slabs (got a good deal at a garden centre…) and some plants that other GOY people had recommended – but it felt something was missing – somewhere to sit!

So now it was the best time – planting… I have planted…
Rose David Austin Pat Austin – lovely repeat flowering copper coloured.
Lavender – Blue Star – either side of the entrance (love the smell of lavender and as its right at the front gets quite a lot of sun)
Leucanthemum Snow Lady – large white flowered daisy
Campanula Poscharskyana – masses of star shaped blue flowers – low growing mound towards the middle
Rhodanthemum African Eyes – again a small mat forming perennial – silver foliage and flowers with cream and dark brown eyes (just liked it!! no excuses..)
and over the entrance an arch with Clematis Princess Diana which according to the blurb on the label says – dark pink, upright, tulip-like flowers from mid Summer to early Autumn
Started digging and guess what yeap.. patio slabs!! Previous tenants must have put a patio in the same place – about 1 1/2 foot down 6 (yes six!!) fifty pence shaped slabs!!!
So what do you think – the bench £39.99, the arch £4.99, the plants £30.00 not bad .. only now my oldest says “ohh, great drinking area..” (We will come to serious blows if he thinks him and his mates are going to use my seating area….)

Very good question Spritz, every garden has to have a rubbish corner. Even if you manage throw it all away it seems to have sown seed which grows into more rubbish!
Great transformation Geniusscuffy, a lovely sunny spot for late afternoons and evenings. Perhaps you had better install a litter bin for all those beer cans...........

Typical,they like it after you`ve done the hard graft,its a good idea about the lighting because you will share,we all do.It looks good and you have a good selection of plants,and what a find,free slabs cant be bad,...........

Thanks for all your comments - as for lighting been looking at those little lanterns that you put candles in or even some solar powered ones (they seem to be coming down in price). As for sharing - I'm a soft touch when it comes to my boys but baring in mind they are 6ft 3 1/2 and size 13 shoes - as long as they dont tread on the plants!!!
The pond got moved over the other side of the garden in a little corner which to be honest isnt used much behind the veggie patch so hopefully the frogs will eat the snails/slugs on the veggies!
As to the area where you store everything - well most of it went to the tip - thats another story about a little mouse that came to the tip in the car with me!! (he left when we got there!!) - the pots were given to a friend, and the old seed trays etc went into the shed. Just got to do the area behind the shed now!!!